Femicide in Eslamshahr, Iran: 18-year-old Fatemeh Soltani murdered by her father

Fatemeh Soltani
Age: 18
Stabbed: April 17, 2025
Residence: Eslamshahr, Tehran
Origin: Iran
Perpetrator: Father

On Thursday, April 17, 2025, 18-year-old Fatemeh Soltani was brutally murdered by her father in a neighborhood of Eslamshahr. The man stabbed his daughter at least fourteen times with a knife and then beheaded her.

Around 9:00 AM that morning, the father went to the nail salon where Fatemeh worked. He called her and asked her to come outside, where he then attacked her.

The 48-year-old man turned himself in to the police after the murder and is currently in custody. He cited "family conflicts" as the motive.

In Iran, fathers who kill their daughters often receive a lighter sentence or even no punishment if the family forgives them, thanks to Article 301 of the Iranian Penal Code. Human rights organizations are calling for the abolition of this article so that fathers who kill their daughters in the name of 'honor' or 'family conflicts' can no longer escape an appropriate punishment.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.

Ralph Geissen

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Ralph Geissen